The main culprit for rising Lacombe Lake levels is a weir designed to control spring runoff, say residents.
When built in 1971 it was supposed to maintain the lake level at between 2,010 and 2,012 feet above sea level through an agreement with lake residents.
The county says it intends to continue diverting water from Whelp Creek during spring runoff and then releasing it during the summer to maintain a water level of 2,811 feet above sea level.
That isn’t happening, argue some lake residents.
When the Alexanders surveyed the weir in 2017, they found it was actually only maintaining water levels between 2,812 and 2,814 feet.
A county report to council suggests the lake level discrepancies may be a result of differences in how the 2017 survey and the original weir survey were done.
In 2019, the county undertook a one-year trial to monitor the impact of a lake level of 2,813 feet. Alexander said previously that proved a “disaster” and said the county is not taking responsibility for the damage caused.
